VICTORIA — There has been a major upheaval in British Columbia politics since the last provincial vote in 2020. Here's a look at the political timeline, resulting in two party leaders who are both running for the first time as premier in the Oct. 19 general election.
Feb. 5, 2022: Kevin Falcon wins leadership of the Opposition 小蓝视频 Liberals. Falcon would take his seat in the provincial legislature after winning a byelection in Vancouver-Quilchena, vacated by former Leader Andrew Wilkinson.
June 28, 2022: 小蓝视频 premier and NDP Leader John Horgan announces his intention to resign due to health reasons, kicking off a leadership race where a number of perspective candidates ultimately decline to run.
Aug. 18, 2022: Falcon removes Nechako Lakes MLA and former cabinet minister John Rustad from the 小蓝视频 Liberal caucus over tweets about climate change. Rustad sits as an Independent in the legislature.
Sept. 10, 2022: Elenore Sturko, a former RCMP sergeant considered by some to be a star candidate under Falcon's 小蓝视频 Liberals, wins the Surrey South byelection with 52 per cent of the votes cast.
Oct. 19, 2022: Climate activist Anjali Appadurai is disqualified from the 小蓝视频 New Democratic Party leadership race, leaving attorney general and Vancouver-Point Grey MLA David Eby as the lone candidate. Eby was acclaimed as leader days later.
Nov. 18, 2022: Eby is sworn in as 小蓝视频's premier.
March 31, 2023: Rustad is acclaimed as leader of the 小蓝视频 Conservatives, shortly after joining the party and becoming its only representative in the provincial legislature.
April 12, 2023: The 小蓝视频 Liberals under Falcon rebrand to 小蓝视频 United.
June 24, 2023: The NDP wins both the Langford-Juan de Fuca and Vancouver-Mount Pleasant byelections by more than half of the votes cast. The 小蓝视频 Conservative candidate in Langford-Juan de Fuca came in second, drawing more than twice the amount of votes as his 小蓝视频 United rival.
Sept. 13, 2023: Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman defects from the 小蓝视频 United caucus, joining Rustad and the Conservatives. The move gives the 小蓝视频 Conservatives two seats and official party status.
May 31, 2024: 小蓝视频 United caucus chair and Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson crosses the floor and joins Rustad's Conservatives.
June 3, 2024: Sturko also defects from 小蓝视频 United to join the 小蓝视频 Conservatives, saying "we can only ignore the polls for so long."
July 30, 2024: Former cabinet minister and Richmond North Centre MLA Teresa Wat also leaves 小蓝视频 United for the Conservatives, becoming the fourth sitting United MLA to defect ahead of the fall election.
Aug. 28, 2024: Falcon suspends the 小蓝视频 United election campaign, throwing his support behind the 小蓝视频 Conservatives led by Rustad. Falcon says the best thing for the future of the province is to defeat the NDP, but that can't be done when the centre-right vote is split.
Sept. 3, 2023: Rustad welcomes three 小蓝视频 United members of the legislature to the Conservative fold, Ian Paton, Peter Milobar and Trevor Halford. Other candidates, including Shirley Bond and Todd Stone end their campaigns.
Sept. 16, 2023: Karin Kirkpatrick, a 小蓝视频 United candidate who had already said she wouldn't run again in the next election, reversed her decision, saying she'll run as an Independent. She's joined by four other 小蓝视频 United MLAs to run as Independents, including Mike Bernier, Dan Davies, Coralee Oakes and Tom Shypitka.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2024.
The Canadian Press
